Drain and flush valve



Feb. l0, 1953 K, M, ADA|R 2,627,871

DRAIN AND FLUSH VALVE Filed April 5, 1950 Limia i ml l E E E INVENTOR n EMJYQ z'' Nv l? n L/ ,5 BY 91M /6 ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to the flushing and draining of irrigation and like lines. Such lines Y may be either fixed or portable, permanent or temporary installations.

When irrigation lines are moved or through their normal use there is often introduced therein a quantity of soil or sediment, which, if not iiushed out of such lines, may foul the sprinklers or other discharge outlets of the system. It is, therefore, important for the eiicient operation of such systems that they be easily and efficiently hushed, and such sediment expelled therefrom.

In the use of portable irrigation systems it is necessary that the lines be drained of water before transportation because of the greatly increased weight caused by water contained in such systems. If there is no ordinary valve which will allow the flushing and draining of such systems, it becomes necessary for the operator thereof to go to the'low portions of the line and very likely to the end of such line in order to open the line for the release of the water contained therein.

It is very advantageous to the operator to save the time and labor necessary to manually open these lines, and it is for this purpose that I have invented an automatic draining and ushing valve for irrigation systems.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a valve for draining and ushing irrigation systems which valve is fully automatic.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a valve with a wing nut on the valve stem which makes it possible to close the valve manually and to thus fix it in the closed position.

It is another object of this invention to provide a. valve with a means whereby said valve may be manually locked in the open position at any degree of opening that may be desired.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device in which the spring tension adjustment for the valve may be made without removing any of the parts of that valve.

It is another object of my invention to provide a valve that will be inexpensive to manufacture, easily maintained, and will last indefinitely.

Another object of my invention is to provide a valve so designed as to enable its easy adaptability to standard irrigation systems, both permanent and portable, in use today. The valve body of my invention may be easily incorporated into an irrigation line itself anywhere along its length, or it may be fixed into the average irrigation coupler. or it may be provided with lugs or locks or some other vlocking means in order to easily use it in an irrigation system.

Another object of this invention is to produce a valve body that will accommodate either pipe or tube fittings whereby said valve can be used as a regular valve in the standard irrigation system, whether xed or portable.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical section of a drain and flush valve constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modied form of this invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the'line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral IIJ designates generally a valve housing formed of a side wall II and a top wall I2. The bottom or lower end of the housing I9 includes anannular valve seat I3, and at a point between the upper and lower ends of the housing I 0 an outlet opening I4 is formed in the side wall II. The lower end of the housing III is open and constitutes the intake end of the housing. A valve plug member I5 is adapted to be disposed when in closed position against the seat I 3 and comprises a disc I6 having a resilient gasket I'I secured to the upper side thereof.

`The valve member I5 also includes' anvupwardly projecting .stem I8 which is slidablein a sleeve or guide I9 threaded throughlthegtop wall I2. In the present instance the top wall I2 is formed with an opening 20 through which the sleeve or guide I9 loosely engages, and upper and lower lock nuts 2| and 22, respectively, are threaded onto the sleeve or guide I9 and'engage on opposite sides 'of the top wall I2. The sleeve or guide I9 is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinally extending slots23 Within which a pin 24 extending through the stem,|8 slidably engages. The pin 24 is adapted to (hold the valve stem' I8 against rotation within the guide I9. A valve stem adjusting wheel 25 is threaded onto the stem I8 and is adapted to normally bear against the upper end of the guide I9. A pair of lock nuts 2B and 21 which are threaded onto the stem I8 hold the wheel 25 .against the guide or xed nut 41.

against turning movement and lock this wheel in adjusted position.

The disc i6 is secured to the lower end of the stem I8 by means of upper and lower nuts 28 and 29, respectively, which are threaded onto the stem i8. A spring 3D1 engages about the guide I9 and bears at its lower end against the upper side of the disc or plate It, and bears at its upper 'end against an inverted cup shaped Washer 3l .disposed about the guide lI9 and .held against upward movement relative to the guide I9 by means of a pair of lock nuts 32 and :53.

A cage generally designated 34 is fixed to and extends upwardly from the valve housing lo and includes upwardly projecting bars 35 which .are formed with inwardly offset lower end portions 36 fixed as by welding or the like to the upper end oi the valve housing l0. The upper ends of the bars 35 are Xed to an upper disc shaped `plate .31 which `is formed with a central opening 38. A nut 39 xed as "by `welding or the like to the plate ,3'7 and a valve Aopening bolt 4i) vis threaded through the nut 38. The bolt Vlill is .formed at 'its upper end Ywith a right angularly .disposed crank or handle '41, and the lower end of the bolt 40 is formed with a reduced diameter stud 42 which is adapted upon inward movement of :the bolt '40 to engage with a concave recess d3 formed in 'the upper end Aof the valve stem i8.

The bolt 'All is held against complete 'threading from `the nut 39 by means ofa vcotter pin i4 which is extended through the 'stud d'2 on the lower side ofthe plate 3l. The .bolt do is also formed with a'transversely'extending opening 65 through which a second 'cotter pin Yor the like may 'be extended so that the bolt 45 will beheld against inward movement so `that the bolt 4l) will not normally 4contact with the upper end of the valve stern 1B.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, there is disclosed a slightly modified form Aof this invention wherein Vthe valve housing Illa .is constructed `similar to the Avalve housing I with the excep- `tion that the outlet opening Illa lof the valve Ihousing .I'a .is 'formed at the upper end of the valve housing, and a spider d6 is secured in the upper end Vof the side wall IIa 'of the housing a and includes Va cylindrical guide Yil through which the valve stem guide 19a is threaded. A nut `48 is threaded on the guide ISa and bears The guide lila has 'slidable therein a valve stem lila which `is identical with the valve stem I8. In other respects, the structure shown 'in Figures 3 and 4 is identical with the structure .shown .in .Figures 1 and 2.

In the use .and operation :of this valve 'structure, the housing 1li -is .secured to apipe or conduit in .an irrigationsystem, and 'when thewater 'is Enormally .owing through the system the pressure .of the water against the valve ,member I5 will force A.this valve member .to closed position. When itis desired to drain .the system particularly where .the pipes are of a portable nature, release .of pressure against the valve member I5 will permit the spring 3Q to move valve member 'I5 to an open position. If it is desired to manually 'open the valve structure, crank 4I is turned so as to move bolt 40 inwardly to bear against the upper end of valve stem I8.

Valve member I5 may thereupon be moved to the open position determined by the adjustment of wheel or wing 25. With a valve structure as hereinbefore described the irrigation system, either portable or stationary, may be automatically drained so that where the pipes in the system are portable andare beingmoved from one Vpoint to another, the water, silt, or the like, will automatically drain from the irrigation system. vIn this manner the pipes will not lbe loaded with water, or with silt, or other sediment which frequanti-y accumulates in the system.

When it is desired to flush an irrigation system, the water is pumped through the system at fa `.reduced pressure, thus washing out of the lines all dirt, silt, or other foreign solid matter. Once the lines are flushed, the pressure can be increased to working pressure, which will -be sufficient pressure to cause the valve Ato automati- -oallyclose I do `not mean to conflnemyself to the `exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview `of the appended claim.

What is lclaimed is:

A drain valve structure .for use in an irrigation system, comprising atubular housing having 'an inlet'opening at 'one end and an apertured closure at the 'other end 'insertible in la pipe `of said system, said housing having 'an outlet in the side wall thereof adapted to 'be positioned `exteriorly of said pipe, `a valve disc for closing 'said inlet opening, a valve stem secured to said disc and extending through Asaid housing, 4a tubular guide extending through the aaperture in said closure Surrounding said stem, a washer on lsaid guide, `a coil spring surrounding said stem positioned between said washer and said disc biasing said disc `toward open position, a central wheel threadedly engaging said stem and biased into 'engagement with the top of `said guide by ,said spring, rotation of said wheel varying the Vrelative position of said stem and guide lto vary the 'compression 'of said spring, uprights extending from said housing, an apertured disc supported by said uprights, a nut secured to said disc, a bolt threaded through vsaid nut and engageable with said valve stem for manual openangl thereof, and an operating handle for said KEITH M. ADAIR.

REFERENCES ACITED The following references Aare of record in the Vfile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 547,5{l6 'Sleigh Oct. 8, 1895 984,994 Armstrong Feb. 21, 1911 1,420,559 Knight June 20, 1922 2,204,757 Henze June '18, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 547,506 France of 1895 

